How to Organize Your Content from Start to Publish

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get to work amidst clutter – whether it’s on my desk or in my computer.

Your approach to content creation can get cluttered, too. From disconnected ideas to disorganized files, a messy approach can slow and disrupt the writing process. This season, set yourself up for efficiency and success by “spring cleaning” these aspects of your content creation.

Project Management and Content Creation Tools

First, let’s talk about how you’re going to manage content creation with your team. Remember, the tools we use in content creation are as much a part of the process as the content creation itself.

Numerous tools exist for organizing professional tasks. If you’re using one for content project management that doesn’t suit your team, it can create more problems than it solves.

The last thing you need is confusing project management that leads to lost drafts or skipped editing. At bizbuzzcontent we use Asana, which makes us more efficient with:

Daily, weekly and monthly task views.

Project subtasks, which can each be assigned to different team members.

Recurring scheduling for repeated tasks.

Now, for the digital tools and resources we use for actually creating the content. Personally, I like to keep my arsenal slim but powerful; it means I spend more time with the programs and get to know them better. It also keeps my browser’s bookmark menu easily navigable.

Document Creation

Google Drive is great for document collaboration with team members and clients. It also reduces the issues of file incompatibility that can occur when team members use multiple word processors. As you create folders and subfolders for storage, it’s essential that you keep your Drive neat and tidy so everyone can find what they need. Spend some time with Google Drive this season, ensuring:

Each client/project has the appropriate folders and subfolders.

Documents are shared with the team members who need them (and not with those who don’t).

Important documents are in the right folders.

Unneeded and duplicate files aren’t cluttering the folders.

Image Creation

If image creation is part of your content services, use resources that support a consistent look for your brand. Different stock image resources feature a wide range of collections, and can create specific looks for the blogs and websites they populate.

Rather than grabbing legal-to-use images from wherever you and other team members find them, use one or two stock image sites offering collections that truly reflect your brand. At bizbuzzcontent, one that we like is Pexels, which provides a sizable selection of very professional looking photos.

As with document creation, image creation is more organized and efficient when team members can access and edit the same files. Check out Canva if you’d like to share image content with your colleagues and/or clients (think Google Drive for images).

Editorial Calendars and Outlines

Look at your process for content creation. Do you dive in blindly, or follow a marked path of topics, outlining, writing and editing?

To step back and get a big picture view of your content (and to see if your overall messaging is goal-oriented), maintain an editorial calendar. Imagine a shared spreadsheet that includes:

Titles/topics/ideas

Content types (blog, social, e-book, etc.)

Draft due dates

Publish dates

Add whatever detail you need to get a snapshot of the company’s content schedule. Store the editorial calendar in a shared file (like the Google Drive files I mentioned earlier) so that everyone who needs to can see and edit it. We use editorial calendars for many clients here at bizbuzzcontent, and I can’t imagine functioning without them!

Goal-Driven Content Creation

Now that you’ve got the tools in place to make the process efficient, it’s ready to start thinking about what type of content you’re going to create. Rule No. 1: Content should be created to help businesses meets their goals, whether those goals are about awareness, engagement or sales.

When content creation stops working toward those goals, it can feel chaotic and directionless. Just because a topic is trendy doesn’t mean it will fit with your brand; at the same time, a conversation you’re not seeing in the headlines might be just the thing that makes you stand out.

If you need some guidance to keep your content aligned with business goals, start by asking if your content addresses:

Who you want to reach.

Why they need your content.

How they’ll use it to interact with your brand.

What the content says about your brand.

You’ll also want to find ways to measure what the content is doing for your goals. Common key performance indicators (KPIs) include traffic volume, engagement, brand awareness (thought not always easily measurable) and conversions.

Jessica wrote a great piece at the beginning of the year in which she provides a content strategy blueprint for 2018. If your goals and content feel chaotic, it will help you get organized for the months to come.

Thoughtful, Controlled Writing and Editing

You’ve got your tools, you’ve got your goals and you’re ready to write. Even the best of us occasionally feels disorganized at this point. Starting a sentence, let alone an entire article or e-book, can be more daunting than expected. As the author David Levithan says:

“The first sentence of the truth is always the hardest.”

Where to begin?

For individual pieces of content, begin with an outline. Find primary sources and determine what the major sections of the piece will cover. Don’t get overly detailed with the outline, as certain aspects may change as you get deeper into research. But having a starting point and sources to consult make it much easier to get started.

During the actual writing, mental organization is key. For tips on keeping the main point in mind and writing concisely, check out Carrie’s post on writing clear, organized content. Her major pointers include:

Following the traditional outline format for a 5 paragraph essay.

Creating working titles to drive the main point as you write.

Trimming unnecessary words and flowery language.

To keep files organized, and know where content is in the writing-editing-submitting process, name them appropriately. A first version might simply be named with the title:

How to Write Clickable Titles in Just a Few Minutes

If a team member returns it for edits, perhaps add a “V2” at the end to indicate that it’s the second version:

How to Write Clickable Titles V2

Final versions, which are ready to be published, might include “final:”

How to Write Clickable Titles FINAL

During editing, tack editors’ initials onto the file name, so you know how many times the content has been seen and revised:

How to Write Clickable Titles_AB_CD_EF

A finished piece of professional content begins well before the actual writing. If your content creation process feels disorganized, freshen it up with a good spring cleaning. From aligning ideas with business goals to naming files more informatively, you can bring order to the chaos – from start to publish.

Looking for expert guidance as you organize your content? Check out our services and get in touch!

Katie Mitchell
Katie Mitchell is a content writer for bizbuzzcontent. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking, traveling, doing yoga, and relaxing with friends and family.

Testimonials

Jessica leads one of the most professional content agencies I’ve ever worked with. We target a very niche industry, and Jessica and her team were very thoughtful in their approach. From planning thoughtful pieces, to researching and interviewing SMEs, to brainstorming promotion strategies, Jessica and her team maintain a high degree of professionalism and efficiency.

Steven S., Senior Manager, Demand Generation, Rentlytics

2018-07-31T17:22:53+00:00

Steven S., Senior Manager, Demand Generation, Rentlytics

Jessica leads one of the most professional content agencies I’ve ever worked with. We target a very niche industry, and Jessica and her team were very thoughtful in their approach. From planning thoughtful pieces, to researching and interviewing SMEs, to brainstorming promotion strategies, Jessica and her team maintain a high degree of professionalism and efficiency.

Jessica dedicated her time as a pro-bono volunteer with VolunteerMatch to help us with some key content marketing needs. What impressed me most about working with Jessica was the way she tailored her approach to accommodate the needs of our nonprofit with the resource constraints of our team. Jessica developed personas, one-pagers, case studies and website content that has resulted in an increase in traffic to our site and improved our ability to communicate to our key audiences.

Bree v.F., Director of Marketing and Engagement, VolunteerMatch

2018-07-31T17:22:20+00:00

Bree v.F., Director of Marketing and Engagement, VolunteerMatch

Jessica dedicated her time as a pro-bono volunteer with VolunteerMatch to help us with some key content marketing needs. What impressed me most about working with Jessica was the way she tailored her approach to accommodate the needs of our nonprofit with the resource constraints of our team. Jessica developed personas, one-pagers, case studies and website content that has resulted in an increase in traffic to our site and improved our ability to communicate to our key audiences.

I've worked with Jessica at her company bizbuzzcontent for years. It's my go-to provider whenever my team is looking for high-quality content. What differentiates bizbuzzcontent is that they not only have superior writing skills but a rare ability to completely understand our industry, our company positioning, brand voice and tone, and customers. This just makes the content highly targeted and relevant, and goes a long way in achieving our marketing goals.

Nag P., Sr. Manager, Product Marketing, Salesforce

2018-07-31T17:22:31+00:00

Nag P., Sr. Manager, Product Marketing, Salesforce

I've worked with Jessica at her company bizbuzzcontent for years. It's my go-to provider whenever my team is looking for high-quality content. What differentiates bizbuzzcontent is that they not only have superior writing skills but a rare ability to completely understand our industry, our company positioning, brand voice and tone, and customers. This just makes the content highly targeted and relevant, and goes a long way in achieving our marketing goals.

I love Jessica and the team over at bizbuzzcontent. Within just a matter of a few interactions, she was able to understand, in depth, our complex solution and business model. Since then, she's been critical to us in driving compelling, engaging content via our blogs and white papers. She's a wonderful, thoughtful person to work with, and the work she's done has been a key factor in increasing our conversion rates.

Collin S., Angel Investor and Technology Executive

2018-07-31T17:22:41+00:00

Collin S., Angel Investor and Technology Executive

I love Jessica and the team over at bizbuzzcontent. Within just a matter of a few interactions, she was able to understand, in depth, our complex solution and business model. Since then, she's been critical to us in driving compelling, engaging content via our blogs and white papers. She's a wonderful, thoughtful person to work with, and the work she's done has been a key factor in increasing our conversion rates.

bizbuzzcontent helps me efficiently leverage my own subject-matter expertise to create original content on timely topics. Together, we are able to distill complex topics into client-friendly articles that I can use across multiple platforms. I especially appreciate bizzbuzz’s super-efficient process because it keeps me on track for timely production of new content. Jessica Lee is a pleasure to work with, and I rely on her to bring a strategic eye to my publication efforts.

Priya H., Partner, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

2018-07-31T17:23:04+00:00

Priya H., Partner, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

bizbuzzcontent helps me efficiently leverage my own subject-matter expertise to create original content on timely topics. Together, we are able to distill complex topics into client-friendly articles that I can use across multiple platforms. I especially appreciate bizzbuzz’s super-efficient process because it keeps me on track for timely production of new content. Jessica Lee is a pleasure to work with, and I rely on her to bring a strategic eye to my publication efforts.

Jessica is a great content creator, writer, reporter and partner to work with. Highly articulate with strong content values and work ethos, Jessica adds great value to all projects she works on. I would happily recommend Jessica to people who wish to scale their content marketing efforts.

Andy B., C-Level Marketing and Strategy Consultant

2018-07-31T17:23:14+00:00

Andy B., C-Level Marketing and Strategy Consultant

Jessica is a great content creator, writer, reporter and partner to work with. Highly articulate with strong content values and work ethos, Jessica adds great value to all projects she works on. I would happily recommend Jessica to people who wish to scale their content marketing efforts.

Jessica is a guest speaker of Microsoft internal training program. She made an awesome presentation of how to create marketable web ages to Microsoft Bing Ads product team and services team. Attendees found Jessica very engaging during the presentation. Microsoft Bing Ads is eager to apply the learning in our daily works, and look forward to partnering with Jessica to bring more value to digital advertising community.

Ping J., Product Manager, Microsoft Bing Ads

2018-07-31T17:21:44+00:00

Ping J., Product Manager, Microsoft Bing Ads

Jessica is a guest speaker of Microsoft internal training program. She made an awesome presentation of how to create marketable web ages to Microsoft Bing Ads product team and services team. Attendees found Jessica very engaging during the presentation. Microsoft Bing Ads is eager to apply the learning in our daily works, and look forward to partnering with Jessica to bring more value to digital advertising community.

Jessica has been instrumental in building our content strategy from ground up, educating our stakeholders and increasing our exposure across all lines of insurance. I can say with confidence that she has been a critical extension of the marketing team, always producing timely deliverable. She has always been enthusiastic about creating new formats for us and new vehicles of information to help the marketing team raise awareness and drive internal adoption. Her most impressive feat from my perspective is how quickly and seamlessly she dived into our 12 lines of insurance. The dexterity and the level of expertise she demonstrated although she had never worked with insurance B2B client was absolutely incredible.

Stephanie M., VP Marketing Communications, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

2018-07-31T17:21:33+00:00

Stephanie M., VP Marketing Communications, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

Jessica has been instrumental in building our content strategy from ground up, educating our stakeholders and increasing our exposure across all lines of insurance. I can say with confidence that she has been a critical extension of the marketing team, always producing timely deliverable. She has always been enthusiastic about creating new formats for us and new vehicles of information to help the marketing team raise awareness and drive internal adoption. Her most impressive feat from my perspective is how quickly and seamlessly she dived into our 12 lines of insurance. The dexterity and the level of expertise she demonstrated although she had never worked with insurance B2B client was absolutely incredible.

We can't imagine how we managed without bizbuzzcontent before! Working with Jessica Lee is a dream. She is very creative and understands new concepts quickly. The content creation process at bizbuzzcontent is the most efficient we have come across in our many years of working with other writers and agencies. If you want an excellent content program and a company that goes above and beyond, hire bizbuzzcontent today!

Pauline J., CEO, Group Twenty Seven

2018-07-31T17:21:10+00:00

Pauline J., CEO, Group Twenty Seven

We can't imagine how we managed without bizbuzzcontent before! Working with Jessica Lee is a dream. She is very creative and understands new concepts quickly. The content creation process at bizbuzzcontent is the most efficient we have come across in our many years of working with other writers and agencies. If you want an excellent content program and a company that goes above and beyond, hire bizbuzzcontent today!

Jessica and her team at bizbuzzcontent have been a trusted partner for years, and have helped us with our blog, web copy and email marketing, in addition to providing lots of guidance on other content projects. The team is able to quickly get up to speed on any content project's requirements and create quality content that's on target. Over the years, they've helped us educate, drive brand awareness and website traffic. I would definitely recommend bizbuzzcontent for content services.

Ashley G., Digital Ad Management, SearchForce

2018-07-31T17:18:31+00:00

Ashley G., Digital Ad Management, SearchForce

Jessica and her team at bizbuzzcontent have been a trusted partner for years, and have helped us with our blog, web copy and email marketing, in addition to providing lots of guidance on other content projects. The team is able to quickly get up to speed on any content project's requirements and create quality content that's on target. Over the years, they've helped us educate, drive brand awareness and website traffic. I would definitely recommend bizbuzzcontent for content services.